By Father Fred Edlefsen

“The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.”

(Proverbs 9:10)

The Holy Spirit plays like quiet background music. Through the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, we are inspired to pray or act as only God knows we should. To be under the influence of the Holy Spirit, through his Gifts, is the essence of Christian mysticism.

I’ve previously written about the Gifts of Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, Counsel, Piety, and Fortitude. Through Wisdom, we know Christ. Through Understanding, we penetrate the mysteries of faith. Through Knowledge, we see people as beautifully made, profoundly wounded by sin, yet redeemed by Christ. Through Counsel, God puts his good word on our lips and his good action in our heart – at the right time. Through Piety, we become God’s “spiritual children” (Matthew 18:2-5), with a loving affection and gratitude. Through Fortitude, the Holy Spirit gives us divine courage to stand up for what is right and to bear witness to Christ in adversity. Articles on each Gift are posted on our website. So, what is Fear of the Lord?

Fear of the Lord doesn’t make us scared of God. It is not that kind of fear, like when we feel threatened. Rather, it’s a kind of fear that comes with love: fear of offending a loved one. Through the Gift of Fear, we fear offending God and losing friendship with Him through serious sin. Of course, God’s love is unconditional. He will never betray us. But we are fallen. Therefore, the Holy Spirit gives us a healthy supernatural Fear of doing anything that would betray God. It makes mortal sin repugnant.

Fear has a special effect on us: we lose our taste for sins we once thought attractive. It also helps us to persevere through times of temptation. Pray for this Gift, for the grace to live in the innocence of your Baptism. Fear of the Lord perfects the virtue of Hope because it holds the promise of freeing us from everything that could separate us from God and eternal life. It perfects the Beatitude, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs in the kingdom of heaven.”